Shadow the Hedgehog
| species = Normal: Mobian hedgehog Transformed: Pony | gender = Male | age = None | eyes = Red | height = 4'2" (128 cm; hedgehog) 3'3" (100 cm; pony) 4'4" (134 cm; Boom) | weight = 119 lbs (54 kg) | nationality = American | hobby = Fighting Sonic the Hedgehog. Proving that he is the Ultimate Lifeform. | goals = Destroy the world and avenge Maria Robotnik's Death (formerly). Keep his promise to Maria Robotnik by protecting the earth from evil (ongoing). | type of hero = Tragic Anti-Hero }} Shadow the Hedgehog is an anthropomorphic hedgehog infused with Black Arms DNA, and the arch-rival of Sonic the Hedgehog. Shadow was created as the "Ultimate Life Form" by Gerald Robotnik, using the DNA of Black Doom, and is the end result of Project Shadow. His purpose was to provide ways to develop a cure for incurable deadly illnesses, more specifically for Gerald's granddaughter Maria Robotnik, but he was captured and put into stasis by the military when he was deemed as a threat to humanity. Fifty years later, Shadow was released by Dr. Eggman to help him conquer the world. Initially, Shadow sought to destroy the earth to avenge Maria, who had been killed by the military, but was persuaded to help save it from Gerald's doomsday plans. In the process, Shadow lost his memories and he sought to uncover his past, during which he met the Black Arms. Ultimately, Shadow thwarted Black Doom and saved the world. From there, he continued his mission to protect humanity by becoming a special agent of GUN. Shadow is sharp-witted, always on edge and has a strong sense of purpose, willing to accomplish his goals by any means. Essentially a dark version of Sonic, Shadow can match him in both speed and skill, and can use Chaos Control with a Chaos Emerald. While preferring to work alone, he has helped Sonic and his allies when needed. History Origins Fifty years before the events of Sonic Adventure 2, a top-secret project known as "Project Shadow" had begun on the Space Colony ARK. Led by Professor Gerald Robotnik, it was a government-sanctioned initiative to create "The Ultimate Lifeform," an immortal being that could be used for the benefit of the nation, likely in a militaristic fashion. While Gerald had initial misgivings to the purpose of the research he was assigned to, he realized that his results might be able to save his granddaughter, Maria. Suffering from the incurable disease Neuro-Immune Deficiency Syndrome, Maria only had a short time left to live, and Gerald was willing to do whatever it took to save her life. Going against his worries of stepping into territory man had no business playing with, the professor immediately began work, hoping that he could apply any newly-gained knowledge to find a cure to N.I.D.S. . Even with the resources at his disposal, Professor Gerald was unable to make significant progress. Without alerting anyone, Gerald decided to plea to the stars for help, contacting the Black Arms race, an alien civilization that lived upon the Black Comet, a celestial object that passed near the planet every fifty years. Its leader, Black Doom, offered to assist Gerald in his quest. He offered his blood - which ended up being the key to perfect the ultimate lifeform - in exchange for the seven Chaos Emeralds, which he would collect the next time he passed through. Knowing that the Black Arms' intentions were less than desirable, Gerald made the deal regardless, albeit with preparations to defeat the Black Arms with the cannon built into the ARK, and was able to successfully create Shadow the Hedgehog. Once brought to life, Shadow immediately befriended Maria, and they became close during their short time together. Gerald, meanwhile, made precautions for the return of the Black Arms, ensuring that the Eclipse Cannon - an extremely powerful laser built into the ARK - was compatible with the seven Chaos Emeralds, so that when they did return with the Black Comet, humanity would be able to defend itself instead of bowing to their whims. However, Gerald's progress was ruined when it was leaked to G.U.N. how he was able to create the successful prototype. During the meeting between Gerald and the Black Arms, one of the other children aboard the ARK had accidentally seen what transpired, and reported back to those in charge. As ties between the ARK and the United Federation had already been strained, hearing the news of the dealings with an alien race scared those in charge. Afraid of the implications, it was decided to launch an invasion and put a stop to the work being done there. What happened next was nothing short of madness, as G.U.N. troops descended onto the ARK, causing chaos and confusion wherever they went. Immediately they went after the Biolizard, which they thought was the successful "Project Shadow" prototype, and in the process of putting the creature into stasis, lost quite a few soldiers. From there they went about doing damage control, shutting down everything, getting everyone off the ARK, and killing those who resisted if need be. Knowing that the G.U.N. forces would be there at any moment, Maria convinced Shadow to enter an escape pod, her final wish to him that he give the people on the planet a chance to be happy. Wishing him goodbye, Shadow could do nothing as he watched the G.U.N. soldiers storm into the lab, firing a shot which would forever change the hedgehog's life as it ended the life of Maria Robotnik. Learning of his granddaughter's death, Professor Gerald soon went mad with grief, swearing vengeance on humanity for taking away the only thing that ever meant anything to him. Though just what exactly transpired is cloudy, what is known is that both Gerald and the escape pod that held Shadow were gathered by G.U.N., Shadow having to be put to sleep in a stasis capsule within Prison Island, and Gerald being incarcerated and charged with the crimes that happened aboard the ARK. Evil-Doer Shadow debuted in the game Sonic Adventure 2. Here, Dr. Eggman set Shadow free from a G.U.N. base on Prison Island, where he had spent approximately fifty years in suspended animation. In exchange, Shadow agreed to aid the doctor in his plans to take over the world; holding to himself his true intentions as wishing to get revenge for the death of his friend, Maria Robotnik, as he thought she wanted; it is strongly implied that his belief that Maria's final wish was revenge against humanity stemmed from Gerald Robotnik modifying Shadow's memories between Maria's death and Shadow's encapsulation. To achieve this, Shadow revealed the Eclipse Cannon to Dr. Eggman, who later destroyed half of the moon in a demonstration to the populace. Beforehand, he also stole the green Chaos Emerald from a bank, unknowingly also framing Sonic the Hedgehog for the deed. He later participated in the second heist alongside Dr. Eggman and Rouge the Bat against Prison Island, where he would plant explosives throughout the island as part of their getaway, although his resemblance to Sonic also resulted in Amy Rose mistaking him for the latter. However, because Tails came to Amy's rescue from Dr. Eggman, he was forced to act fast due to the unexpected delay. In addition, after Rouge ended up getting caught and stranded in the containment area while recovering the four Chaos Emeralds, Shadow, largely because he realized that his plans of avenging Maria Robotnik would be for naught if Rouge perished in the explosion, rushed to get to Rouge and by extension the Chaos Emeralds. After meeting Sonic for a second time, Shadow also believed that Sonic was trying to copy him. They fought to a stalemate before Shadow was forced to leave to rescue Rouge (with Sonic also learning from Eggman via Shadow's radio that the island was about to blow up), and just barely arrived at Rouge's location and used Chaos Control to warp himself, Rouge, the four Chaos Emeralds and presumably Eggman out at the last possible second. After the demonstration, needing the final Chaos Emerald to fulfill their plans, Shadow pursued Tails' plane at a canyon. Although he was unable to stop them, he nonetheless reported to Eggman that they are headed his way. When Eggman discovered the presence of two apparent emerald readings, and thus deduced Tails' plan of placing a fake Chaos Emerald into the cannon, Shadow departed, apparently to confront Sonic and Tails to stop them for interfering, although Eggman stopped him, wanting to deal with them personally. After Sonic was seemingly killed by Dr. Eggman via a rigged escape capsule, Shadow, witnessing the explosion, guessed that Sonic was only an ordinary hedgehog. Afterwards, Shadow stumbled upon Rouge's plan to steal the Chaos Emeralds, and deduced that she was in fact a spy for the President of the United Federations, although Rouge then unveiled a report from Gerald Robotnik regarding the Biolizard, claiming, it, not Shadow, was the actual Shadow. However, Shadow was forced to depart after Eggman mentioned an anonymous figure (Sonic) heading towards the Eclipse Cannon, although not before stating that he's still Shadow despite his memories possibly being fake, and that "the fake emerald is good enough for Rouge." He then discovers Sonic the Hedgehog at the area. Shadow, impressed at Sonic's capability of using Chaos Control despite using a fake Chaos Emerald, nonetheless stated that he cannot allow him to live before fighting on a collapsing bridgeway. In the last story, Eggman inserted the final Chaos Emerald, only to initiate a destabilization program on the ARK. Professor Gerald Robotnik then revealed that he had made this function to have revenge for Maria, and that the ARK would destroy the Earth. Sonic, Eggman, Rouge, Tails and Knuckles took a shortcut to the cannon's core so they could stop the Professor's mad plan. Redemption Amy Rose then helped Shadow realize Maria's true wish. In a twist of fate, Shadow ultimately aided Sonic when realizing, with Amy's help, Maria's true wish, which was to save humanity. Meanwhile, Sonic the Hedgehog and Knuckles had reached the central core, where they reactivated the Biolizard. Notably, a scene from Gerald Robotnik's diary appeared again. After Shadow defeated the Biolizard, Knuckles used the Master Emerald to stop the Chaos Emeralds. But the Biolizard, being the prototype of Project Shadow, used Chaos Control to fuse with the ARK, continuing its fall. Then, Sonic and Shadow, in their Super States, destroyed the Biolizard. The Ultimate Lifeform prototype became a monster, codenamed Finalhazard. Using their powers, Shadow and Sonic defeated him and executed an enhanced Chaos Control which stopped the fall and warped the ARK. Afterwards, Shadow's energy was drained out and after falling to the Earth, he was presumed dead. Siding with the others In Sonic Heroes, Rouge discovers Shadow unconscious in a stasis pod located in the deepest part of one of Dr. Eggman's bases, after he was believed to be dead. As she activates the capsule, E-123 Omega begins to scan Rouge and the newly awakened Shadow, believing him to be a creation of Eggman. As Shadow awakens, Omega fires a round of guns at Shadow and Rouge. Shadow orders Rouge to step away while he takes on Omega, but Rouge steps in to break them up, quickly ending the skirmish. Shadow discovers that he has amnesia and cannot remember anything before his release, aside from his name and brief images of Maria Robotnik's death. He unwillingly joins forces with Rouge the Bat and the robot, E-123 Omega, to form Team Dark and find Eggman. On their way to Eggman on Grand Metropolis, Shadow and his team meet up with the Chaotix, and begin fighting against them as Rouge suspects them to be searching for "Eggman's treasure". Later, Shadow meets Dr. Eggman in a casino, asking him for his identity; however, Eggman (Neo Metal Sonic in disguise) denied that Shadow has "a past to remember". On an another battle against one of Eggman's machines, Shadow discovers that there are clones of him much to his already established self-confusion. After giving it a brief break, Shadow, however, chose to proceed forward. Unbeknownst to him, Neo Metal Sonic has collected Shadow's data while the hedgehog was fighting during that moment. In the jungle, Shadow confronted Sonic and his team of Knuckles and Tails. When they encountered each other, Shadow had no memory of Sonic, and asks Rouge about him. The two teams began taunting each other until Omega threatened Sonic and his team to destroy them. Shadow then started a fight against Sonic and his friends. When they made it to the Egg Fleet, Shadow made his mind to defeat Eggman once and for all even if he is not truly the ultimate lifeform. After Eggman was seemingly defeated, Shadow remarked that Rouge's desire to steal the Master Emerald from Knuckles as she was explaining her next plan is nothing strange for him. Shortly after that, Neo Metal Sonic revealed himself to them, and began transforming as Shadow, his teammates and the other teams are witnessing that moment. Having no other option, Shadow worked with everyone else to help defeat the monster, and gladly gives his Chaos Emerald to Sonic. After the final battle, Shadow is seen with E-123 Omega holding the defeated Metal Sonic. Finding Himself In Shadow the Hedgehog, while being haunted by the thoughts of his past memories, Shadow witnessed an alien race known as the Black Arms arriving on Earth to invade, where Black Doom appeared before Shadow and told him to bring him the Chaos Emeralds "as promised" before disappearing. Fueled with desire to seek out his past and find the truth behind Black Doom's words in hopes of uncovering his past, Shadow sped off to obtain the emeralds. After successfully gathering all of the Emeralds, Shadow was confronted by Black Doom, who commanded him to give up the emeralds so that they can begin the 'Ritual of Prosperity'. Sonic the Hedgehog and the others, including Dr. Eggman, then arrived and told Shadow not to listen to the alien leader. After it was revealed that Black Doom wished to harvest humans as an energy source, he took the Chaos Emeralds from Shadow and used Chaos Control to warp the Black Comet down to the surface of the planet. Black Doom then explained that he helped Professor Gerald create Shadow, but only in return for the Chaos Emeralds, which were needed to bring the comet down to the surface, before he paralyzed everyone with a special gas and left them to be devoured by his alien offspring. Due to having the same blood as Black Doom, Shadow was the only one not affected by the gas, and continued forward as he finally put his past behind, swears to never let anyone manipulate him again, and is determined to destroy Black Doom. Black Doom fled, leaving behind Shadow, the only hope for the planet. Shadow caught up with Black Doom and suddenly was attacked by mind control. Black Doom told him that he could control him as they had the same blood running through their veins. Just then, the Chaotix activated a film showing a sane Professor Gerald Robotnik some time before the raid on the ARK. In the video, he told him that he was the only hope for the planet. It was revealed that the only way to defeat the Black Arms was to destroy the Black Comet using the Eclipse Cannon. As the video ended, Maria stepped into the frame and gave Shadow the inspiration he needed to break through Black Doom's control. Black Doom escaped and prompted Shadow to use the Chaos Emeralds to become Super Shadow and fight the alien leader. Black Doom, now in his Devil Doom form, fought Shadow but was defeated. Shadow then used a super-powered Chaos Control to warp the Black Comet back into the planet's orbit and tear it apart with a blast from the Eclipse Cannon. On board the ARK and with the world now safe, Shadow looked at a picture of Maria and Gerald before tossing it away, resolving to put his past behind him and choose to move forward. Relationships Gerald Robotnik Shadow was created by the renowned scientist Gerald Robotnik, using Black Doom's DNA. Gerald had made many attempts to create the Ultimate Lifeform before Black Doom and his children, the Black Arms, came to Earth. Unfortunately, the closest he came was the Biolizard. Black Doom, however, approached Gerald and offered his help, but only on one condition; if Black Doom helped Gerald, the professor must promise to deliver the seven Chaos Emeralds to him. Gerald agreed to these terms, and Black Doom gave some of his DNA, which was added to the samples that Gerald had already obtained. The result of this experiment was Shadow the Hedgehog. Gerald seems to be one of few people whom Shadow felt happy around, and the professor might have acted as a surrogate father to him. This is further proved when Gerald refers to the hedgehog as his "son", having given Shadow genuine emotions to prevent him from becoming a weapon as the government intended. Despite this, however, when defeating the Finalhazard, Shadow states that he promises to "destroy all evil that the professor had created," implying that while he might still respect Gerald Robotnik, he nonetheless feels that any bad things that Gerald Robotnik had done after going insane must be stopped. In the Last Story of Shadow the Hedgehog, Shadow finally uncovered the true purpose of his creation from Gerald's recorded video. And in order to put the past behind him, he proceeded to fulfill Gerald's true wish of protecting the planet by destroying the Black Arms Maria Robotnik Professor Gerald's granddaughter, Maria Robotnik, is by far the one person that made Shadow the happiest. She was like a sister to him, and they shared the same dream; to visit Earth. Unfortunately, G.U.N. deemed Project Shadow to be too big a threat to the world. As a result, they eliminated everything they could in relation to the project, including the people. Maria was shot and killed by G.U.N. during the raid on the ARK. Her last parting words were "Sayonara, Shadow the Hedgehog," Shadow still stays strong to keep his promise to her and mourned her death, although at the end of Shadow the Hedgehog, he implies that he is putting his past behind him. Dr. Eggman Shadow's approach to Dr. Eggman is different from most characters. Shadow sees Eggman as the super-genius he has proven to be, rather than the megalomaniac that Sonic and the others see him as. This can be backed up by the fact that Shadow almost always calls Eggman by his title "the Doctor", as opposed to his alias of "Eggman." Eggman has shown similar respect by referring to Shadow's powers as "spectacular", and by how he sometimes applauds Shadow. This is seen in Shadow the Hedgehog during a cutscene where Eggman remarks, "Excellent job, Shadow." Even though Shadow and Eggman display a level of respect toward each other, they also show a dislike toward one another. This can be backed up in Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) when Eggman refers to Rouge as his "dear Rouge", and just flatly states Shadow's name. In the same game, when Shadow breaks through the ceiling of his base, Eggman responds with, "wouldn't the door have been easier? So.... What do you want now?" The disgusted tone may refer to Shadow having just smashed the ceiling. In Shadow the Hedgehog, Eggman tells Shadow, "You will obey me, or there will be dire consequences". Even though Shadow and Eggman have some respect for each other, they still do not regard each other as anything more than an acquaintance. Sonic the Hedgehog Shadow's arch-rival is none other than Sonic the Hedgehog. They became enemies when meeting in Sonic Adventure 2, but later became bitter arch-rivals. Since meeting each other, there has been a never-ending competition between the two, and their battles can range from friendly races to fierce death battles. In any case, one always wants to outdo the other. When they first met, Shadow believed Sonic to have been copying him, with a mutual belief from Sonic. He later retained this belief in Sonic Heroes, largely because of his amnesia. Shadow and Sonic frequently fight due to their own views on justice and morality and how to act on them. Their constant disagreements quickly turn into outright death matches. Each does not care what the other thinks of their views. In a sense, the two hedgehogs are polar opposites in every way except their appearance. Almost every time they meet, they fight ferociously. Neither is ever willing to accept defeat. Their rivalry has developed over time and is now more friendly, yet still fiercely intense as Shadow thinks that Sonic is his rival in all aspects of his life. Despite their fierce arch-rivalry, Shadow and Sonic have helped each other on occasion. Shadow helped Sonic defeat Metal Sonic in Sonic Heroes, and saved him from Silver in Sonic the Hedgehog (2006). He showed slight vulnerability in the face of Sonic's death and even admitted that they cannot defeat Solaris without his help. He also motivated Sonic to defeat the Time Eater in Sonic Generations, and even attended his birthday party, despite being the only one not to wave goodbye to Classic Sonic. Overall, while the two still get on each other's nerves because of their conflicting views, there is also a mutual respect between them. They are both willing to put their differences aside and help each other when needed. Overtime, Shadow has become more confident about Sonic doing what is right, and Sonic has become more acceptant of Shadow's violent attitude as well. Rouge the Bat Shadow has a companionship with Rouge the Bat that is based mainly on partnership during the games. The two are teammates in Sonic Adventure 2 and Sonic Heroes, and often work together during mission stages, but they do not spend time in the other's presence outside of duty alliance. This marks them as occasional teammates when it comes down to appreciation, respect, and consideration over the term of "best friends." Shadow has not shared the closeness of opening up to neither Omega or Rouge the way best friends would do, let alone accompanying them as casual company due to his independent and distant nature, unlike how Sonic interacts with his companions. Nonetheless, the fact that Rouge is one of the closest people for Shadow to interact with (excluding Gerald and Maria, who are dead) is certain. Shadow was implied to have at least heard of her before their formal meeting onboard the Space Colony ARK, as Shadow responds, "Now I know who you are! You're that government spy, Rouge The Bat, aren't you!" when stumbling upon her true intentions at the controls of the Eclipse Cannon. In Sonic Adventure 2, Shadow saved her life when Rouge was trapped in Security Hall, though when she questioned him about his actions later aboard the ARK, he told her he only returned for the Chaos Emeralds that she had acquired. However, it's still unknown if he didn't lie; Rouge teased that this wasn't "the whole story." Their conversation was then interrupted by Dr. Eggman. In Sonic Heroes, Shadow saves Rouge from Omega's fire when not even remembering her. Later, When they find a broken Shadow Android, Rouge looks over to Shadow with pity and asks, "Shadow....?" in a sympathetic mannerism, while he simply dismisses the situation. In Sonic Battle, Rouge implies that she may hold a certain level of attraction towards Shadow and lets him stay with her at Club Rouge when he is injured during a fight at the Gimme Shelter. Also, while Shadow is dreaming, an image of Rouge appears and he whispers, "Ally." After he regains consciousness, Rouge seems somewhat offended when he doesn't thank her for helping him. He then thanked her after seeing her reaction. In Sonic the Hedgehog (2006), Shadow shows he is protective of Rouge's well-being. Once, when catching her from a fall after she was momentarily knocked out by one of Dr. Eggman's robots, and again, when he jumps in front of her after Iblis takes them all by surprise. When E-123 Omega reveals to Shadow that he is the one who traps him in the future; Rouge tells Shadow, "Even if you believe the entire world will be against you, know that I will always remain by your side... Remember that..." Shadow pauses, then strongly replies, "I will." However, this event was erased along with the rest of the events within the game after the "future was reversed." In Sonic Rivals, after Shadow saves Rouge from Eggman Nega, Rouge tries to coerce him into going treasure hunting with her and suggests the two "take a peek" into their own future using Eggman Nega's device. Shadow declines and the story ends with Rouge still trying to convince Shadow to join her in hunting for the remaining cards. In Sonic Rivals 2, their encounter was less than friendly from their previous ones to separate the fact their overall relationship seems to be more partner-focused when they ally for the occasion rather than best-friend designated. Shadow is consistently trying to stop Rouge and Knuckles from reaching the Chaos Emeralds at all costs, and seeks to manipulate the Chaos-finding device from Rouge. Rouge asks Shadow on what's going on, saying that Shadow can trust her, and Shadow tells her about the Ifrit. When Rouge mentions her client, Shadow demands to know who her client is, but Rouge refuses against him, leading him to yell after for her to, "get back here." When Shadow catches up to her, Rouge still refuses to tell him about her client as Shadow mildly threatens her, and then she trips him over and replies that he was being "clumsy," and he growls, "Why you...!" The conversation then devolves into a fight between the two, proving that although they may be good friends, that does not mean that they let each other get in the way of their goals. In Sonic Free Riders, both Shadow and Rouge appear as Team Dark along with E-10000B. Their main focus during the game is winning the treasure and prize money. Unlike in previous games, Shadow seems perfectly content with helping Rouge obtain the treasure she covets. Black Doom The relationship between Shadow and Black Doom may have been brief, but has played a significant role in Shadow's life. Shadow was made from Black Doom's blood, in a deal between the alien and Professor Gerald Robotnik. Black Doom, at first, tried to get Shadow on his side by playing on what remained of Shadow's painful memories of losing Maria. Regardless of the path taken during gameplay, Shadow defeats Black Doom and destroys the Black Comet along with the Black Arms. Throughout the events of Shadow the Hedgehog, Black Doom threatens Shadow and demands extreme loyalty and respect without compassion, even when he aids him. He also doesn't tolerate any kind of mistake or failure, no matter how difficult the task on Shadow's part may be. In the end, Shadow refused to aid him and decided to put the end to his biological father and his "offspring" after learning of his true plans. Mephiles the Dark Mephiles the Dark is one of Shadow's deadliest enemies. When they first met, Shadow did not know him when he expressed a familiarity with him, before Mephiles send him to the future. In Shadow's second meeting with Mephiles, Mephiles tried to convince Shadow to turn him against humanity, but Shadow refused. After the battle, Shadow tried to collect some information about Mephiles to stop him, which led him to investigate Mephiles' origin at the Solaris Project ten years ago. There, Shadow sealed Mephiles in the Scepter of Darkness shortly after his birth, where Mephiles swore that he would remember Shadow and that he would kill him. This made Shadow realized how Mephiles knew him and why he was obsessed with him. Shadow later faced Mephiles in Dusty Desert where Mephiles tried to convince him to join his cause, but Shadow saw through his deceit and proclaimed he knew that Mephiles only craved destruction. After Shadow failed to seal Mephiles, Mephiles tried to confuse by asking why wanted to save humanity when they would persecute him so why he want save them, but Shadow proclaimed he would always keep fighting. When Solaris later was erased from existence, Mephiles was nearly erased before coming back, and Shadow's relationship with Mephiles remains deadly. Silver the Hedgehog Shadow and Silver were enemies at first due to Silver being tricked by Mephiles, but became partners later on in Sonic the Hedgehog (2006). They became allies when they worked together after their fight. After using Chaos Control, the two traveled back ten years to witness the Solaris Project accident. The two working together later split up to go after their own targets; Silver watching the King of Soleanna sealing Iblis inside Elise and Shadow sealing Mephiles inside the Scepter of Darkness. After they finished, Shadow and Silver meet up outside the Aquatic Base. They then use Chaos Control to go back to the present. They meet up once again during Solaris' resurrection. In the Sonic Rivals games, Shadow and Silver are rivals. Shadow does not trust Silver's intentions and speculations about Dr. Eggman's identity, but after he discovered that Silver was right, Shadow showed some tolerance toward Silver. In Sonic Rivals 2, they are at odds; mostly because Silver did not want Shadow getting in his way. Humanity Initially, Shadow did not hate humans and promised his best friend Maria to give them a chance to live happy lives. However, his opinion about them changed after G.U.N killed Maria and he came to loathe humanity itself for what they did to her. After his reawakening, Shadow planned to destroy humanity, thinking he had promised Maria revenge at them for her death. However, when he remembered his true promise to Maria, he cast aside his vendetta and risked his life to save humanity. After losing his memories, Shadow did not care for humans, regarding them as pathetic and held no sympathy towards them. During Shadow the Hedgehog, Black Doom even tried to use Shadow's horrific memories of the tragedies humans had brought him to truly turn him against them. However, when Shadow regained his memories as Black Doom unveiled his plans to make humans food for his kind, Shadow once again chose to save humanity to keep his promise to Maria. While Shadow still holds a general loathing of humanity, he has made it his mission to protect them due to his promise to Maria, even becoming an agent for G.U.N. In all his encounters with Mephiles in Sonic the Hedgehog (2006), who attempted to make Shadow turn on humans by showing how they would persecute him in the future, Shadow refused to listen and remained steadfast to protect them. During his final battle with Mephiles, Shadow proclaimed that if someday the world chooses to become his enemy, then he will fight it just like how he always fights, showing that it is up to the humans' decision to whether they consider him an ally or enemy. Knuckles the Echidna Shadow and Knuckles have not interacted much, but at times they are either allies or rivals. In Sonic Adventure 2 they didn't have much interaction, but technically they were enemies first and then worked together to save the world from Space Colony ARK. The first real fight between them happened in Sonic Heroes, although Shadow didn't remember Knuckles at the time. After the fight Knuckles jokingly mentioned that maybe they fought Shadow's ghost. In Shadow the Hedgehog Knuckles appears in Glyphic Canyon, Central City and Black Comet stages asking for Shadow's help in Hero missions. In Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) he and Shadow loosely worked together again for a time in order to return to the present. Shadow and Knuckles appear to have a dislikeness for each other. As seen in Sonic Rivals, Shadow bluntly pointed out that Knuckles was useless for his shortcomings while keeping an indifferent attitude towards his challenges, and Knuckles seemed to be angered of his presence. In Sonic Free Riders, Knuckles pointed out that Shadow had a big ego, in a rather annoyed tone. Amy Rose In Sonic Adventure 2, Shadow and Amy Rose interact twice, but each time seems to gain an odd reaction from Shadow. Amy first meets Shadow when she mistakes him for Sonic and hugs him from behind, while Shadow remains still after having been briefly caught off-guard by her touch. He also does not shake her off or resort to violence. When Amy senses the lack of a reaction, she releases him, causing him to glance back at her. Amy demands his name when she realizes that he is not Sonic, but Shadow continues to glare at her quietly. After Amy notices Dr. Eggman, she also realizes the mistake she has made, and runs off screaming. During this, Shadow simply tilts his head when she is out of range as Dr. Eggman tells the team that he'll take care of Amy. Later in the game aboard the ARK, Amy meets Shadow again and this time does her part in helping by begging Shadow to save the world. At first, Shadow simply replies that it is pointless, but then Amy points out that despite people sometimes being selfish, they were still inwardly good and that saving them was right. Because of this, Shadow suddenly has a flashback of Maria begging Shadow to make people happy. When Shadow comes to his senses he goes off to fight the Biolizard, determinedly and softly telling Amy that he has to keep his promise to "Maria... and her." Amy was also the only one to see Shadow's tear after he remembered that Maria wanted him to save the people that live on Earth, making her the only person to see him cry in Sonic Adventure 2. During Sonic Battle, Amy shows excitement and concern upon hearing Shadow's survival through Rouge, but quickly becomes angry when Rouge will not tell her why he's there. During Shadow the Hedgehog, Shadow can choose to assist Amy in helping find Cream the Rabbit and have her fight alongside the player during the stage and in the boss battle, but this time, there is no reward in return. Also, at the end of Shadow the Hedgehog, Amy shows an odd amount of faith and admiration for Shadow, regardless of him being Sonic's arch-rival. When Rouge expresses concern for Shadow following the destruction of the Black Comet, Amy reassures her with her hands clasped and a cheerful smile on her face, "I'm sure he's fine, Rouge! After all, he is Shadow!" which further displays her positive outlook on the black hedgehog and her general optimism. Commander The Commander and Shadow were enemies with each other because the Commander blamed Shadow for the death of his family and Maria 50 years ago during the G.U.N. raid on the ARK. Throughout the game, he orders his troops to kill Shadow. After the events of Shadow the Hedgehog, the Commander apologized and invited Shadow over to their organization; this is presumably the time that Shadow became a G.U.N. agent. Metal Sonic Shadow, along with Rouge, Omega, and the rest of the teams from Sonic Heroes were distracting Metal Sonic, in his Metal Madness form, so that Team Sonic could transform into their Super State. Sometime later, Shadow and Metal Sonic are forced to work together when Dr. Eggman calls for Shadow's assistance in Sonic Rivals 2. Although they are together for a brief amount of time, Shadow does seem concerned about Metal Sonic multiple times, despite the fact that during this period in time Metal Sonic is a robot with the inability to speak. Shadow constantly asks him if he's alright and at the end of the game when Metal Sonic tears himself open to retrieve the Chaos Emerald within his body, Shadow tells him to stop, for he fears Metal Sonic will destroy himself. Feeling a possible connection due to his friendship with Omega may be the reasoning for his concern. He also may think that he was doing this on his own intention as he only needs Eggman to speak for him. Another possibility is that since Gerald Robotnik created him, and Eggman, Gerald's grandson, created Metal Sonic, he felt it was right. Shadow does show some deep concern for him as he even talked to Metal Sonic himself instead of Eggman. Team Chaotix Shadow has had several altercations with the detective agency, the first being a confrontation in Sonic Heroes that escalated into a brawl, with their differences then seemingly set aside later when they joined forces against an evolved Metal Sonic. The Chaotix resumed their role as allies in Shadow the Hedgehog, with each member participating as a partner in the hero missions of various levels. Individually, Vector perceives Shadow as a friend, as demonstrated in one of the endings of Shadow the Hedgehog when the crocodile attempted to console him when he concluded himself to being nothing more than a living weapon of mass destruction, though Shadow apparently didn't want to hear it. Espio has shown his capacity of friendship for the black hedgehog and the two proved to make a good team when they confronted Dr. Eggman. When Eggman tries to lie and manipulate Shadow, Espio tells the hedgehog not to fall for the doctor's tricks and to defeat him first. Charmy has exercised a more enthusiastic relationship with Shadow, demonstrating how much he respects and looks up to him while often stating how "cool" Shadow is. All the Chaotix voices are present in supporting Shadow during the last story as well as Expert Mode. Infinite Shadow first encountered Infinite back when he was known as the Ultimate Mercenary after decimating the Jackal Squad group he led. Although the Ultimate Mercenary expressed confidence that he could beat Shadow with his own abilities, Shadow promptly proved him wrong by easily beating him before the latter could get a chance to fight back, leaving the mercenary terrified. Shadow was less than impressed with the Ultimate Mercenary during this time, bluntly and rudely telling him that he was worthless, as well as telling him not to show "his pathetic face" towards him ever again before taking his leave. Little did Shadow know, however, that this would ultimately prove to have serious ramifications a week later, when the Ultimate Mercenary proceeded to fuse with the Phantom Ruby to become stronger. Several days later, he encountered Infinite, who reminded Shadow (who had already forgotten who he was) of their earlier encounter, and then proceeded to fully demonstrate his new abilities by trapping him within a Virtual Reality world via the Phantom Ruby. The encounter left Shadow shaken, as well as disturbed by Infinite's letting slip of his intention to defeat Sonic. Physical Description Shadow is a black hedgehog with red stripes on his quills, right above his eyes, arms and legs. He has red eyes and white fur on his chest, and his muzzle is tan. He has six quills on his head, four of which point upwards, and two that point down, has two spines on his back and a small tail. For attire, Shadow wears white gloves with black cuffs and red tongues, and Air Shoes which, like his gloves, have black cuffs and red tongues. On each of his wrists and ankles he wears a single gold ring. Shadow's pony form is a unicorn and is coated black with red stripes on his mane, his eyes remain the same and his cutie mark is his logo. Shadow's 'boom' appearance is mostly the same as his main form, except for a few physical and clothing differences. He is slimmer and has longer arms and legs, and more pronounced shoulders, giving him a taller appearance, and he has a single cowlick-like spike that sticks out from underneath his top quills. His attire includes white gloves with red backs which have long red and black cuffs with fasteners. His shoes look much like the Air Shoes, except his has large red tongues and longer, more detailed red and black cuffs. He also has golden ring bands around his wrists and ankles. Personality Shadow is a brooding loner, to put it bluntly. He usually acts with a cool and businesslike indifference, only occasionally showing his vulnerable side. He is rarely seen with others for an extended period of time and usually distances himself from essentially everyone. He is usually soft-spoken, silent and doesn't speak much, but he always knows exactly what to say in combat. However, Shadow never bluffs. If he makes a threat, he has every intention of carrying it out. Shadow constantly refers to himself as the Ultimate Lifeform and like Sonic can be extremely arrogant, often belittling his opponents and insulting their lack of strength. He believes no one can beat him, and tends to see anyone as a fool for challenging him. Shadow also has a ruthless and merciless edge in combat that all other characters in the series lack, and displays a natural "killer instinct". Shadow's infamous ruthlessness and aggression leads to fear and a nervousness that inhibits characters from his unshakable intent or sheer power in combat. Numerous characters from the Sonic series have shown absolute dread from encountering Shadow. Shadow's enemies never treat him lightly; he is one of the very few people Sonic takes seriously and acts hostile towards. Alongside his dark and violent demeanor, Shadow can be smug and stubborn. He treats others in a very callous manner, throwing in his opinion no matter how cold-hearted it is and not caring for whatever the response is. Shadow is also shown to have a sharp wit, like in Sonic Adventure 2, where after Sonic calls him a faker, he replies that Sonic isn't worth being considered his fake, and in Shadow the Hedgehog, he taunts Black Doom's eye for having trouble with GUN. This attitude is reflected in the original Japanese version, where Shadow omits honorifics and speaks highly of himself (if not rudely), though contrasting this, in Japanese he normally uses the "boku" pronoun when referring to himself as opposed to the more arrogant/confident "ore" pronoun (which characters such as Sonic use). On occasion, Shadow appears to have some degree of mental instability. This is demonstrated by his instances of post-traumatic flashbacks to Maria's face prior to and during the events of Shadow the Hedgehog, though it could be argued that they were simply an effect of his amnesia. Another example could be that in many games Shadow is featured in, he pursues his foes with disturbing determination; that is to say he'll go to any length to accomplish something he desires or feels should be a certain way, no matter what the cost. In his own game, he also showed a rather coarse language. Shadow also possesses some sense of identity, as evidenced when after falsely being told that he isn't the Ultimate Lifeform due to a lab report. He states to Rouge that even if his memories were fake, he is still Shadow the Hedgehog. Similarly in Sonic Heroes, during the Egg Fleet level, he mentions that even without his memories, he is still the Ultimate Lifeform, Shadow the Hedgehog. These qualities make him rarely susceptible to being manipulated by other forces. Despite his apathetic nature, Shadow is not without compassion and has shown concern for others at certain times. When Omega begins his attack in Sonic Heroes, Shadow could have easily forgotten about Rouge and engaged Omega without defending her. Instead, Shadow saves her from Omega, despite having absolutely no memory of her. He was also shown to be legitimately shocked when he learned that his goal of gaining the Chaos Emeralds to restore his memories was actually manipulated by Black Doom in order to wipe out humanity. Likewise, when the GUN Commander finally confronts him with his own memories of Shadow's nightmarish creation, Shadow agrees to face judgment if he was indeed responsible for the ARK massacre 50 years ago. Shadow brushes off most kindness or sympathy that is sent his way; in Sonic Heroes, when Rouge showed concern for Shadow when he saw a broken android, Shadow curtly brushed her concern away. Also in Shadow the Hedgehog after Sonic suggested some "friendly competition," Shadow bluntly rejected his offer. At times, however, Shadow is also shown to appreciate people caring for him. In Sonic Adventure 2, After Amy made him remember his promise to Maria, Shadow told her that he is keeping his promise both to Maria and her. Also, in Sonic the Hedgehog (2006), when Rouge told him that she would always be by his side, he acknowledged her. Despite the fact that Shadow often fights for the greater good, he is considered an anti-hero by the most part due to his morality. He does whatever is necessary to get what he wants or feels is right, though this enthusiasm causes him to take risks and jump into situations without fully thinking it through. He is also shown to have some criminal behavior, like in Sonic Free Riders where he stole the cash price from the World Gram Prix. Regardless, Shadow does have his moments of selflessness, helpfulness and heroism. He nearly gave his life at the end of Sonic Adventure 2 to save Earth and helped Silver uncover the truth of the Solaris Project, after saving Sonic from Silver. Theme Song "All Hail Shadow" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rApuelWrBFk Voice Voice from games (Kirk Thornton). Shadow the Hedgehog Quotes "My name is Shadow. Since you were so kind to release me, My Master, I will grant you one wish. (...) Behold the True power I possess!" "How pathetic." "I promise you... Revenge!" "Before this is over... I'll show you the true power of CHAOS CONTROL!" "That's what I've promised her. And I must keep that promised. That's what Maria wished for. I gotta go now! I have to keep my promise to Maria... And you." "Heh...Sonic I think I know who the ultimate lifeform is...it might be you." "Maria, this is what you wanted, right? This is my promise I made to you..." "Let me show you what ultimate power is." "Is that so? Well then... It'll be a date to DIE for!" "You'll regret this, Doctor. Even if I'm not real, I'm still the ultimate lifeform, Shadow the Hedgehog!" "You best try your hardest, or else you'll get hurt." "Shadow the Hedgehog... Why does that name haunt me...? It's the only thing I can remember... And... that Gruesome image..." "Hmm. Look how pathetic they are! I don't have time for these humans." "Just what was that all about? If he says he knows the truth about who I am... Then like it or not, I have to believe him. The only way I'm going to get the secrets to my past is to get those Chaos Emeralds!" "Where's that DAMN fourth Chaos Emerald?" "Anybody who gets in my way is my enemy." "Goodbye forever, Shadow the Hedgehog." "I determine my own destiny." "Don't bother to try and deceive me. I know who I am!" "Ha! There's no strength in numbers!" "I will release you from the chains of your past." "Time to unleash the Ultimate Power!" "I am the ultimate life form." "They have no idea how unfortunate they are!" "This had to be mistake! How could I lose?" "Witness the true speed!" "You're finally here, Sonic. I don't know where we are, nor do I care. This is where I finish you, Sonic." "Back again, Sonic? Guess you never learn your lesson." "You've got this, Sonic!" "Someone needs to be taught his place." "What's wrong? Tired of being so weak?" "Hmph. Is that all you've got?" "But nobody outruns me." Gallery Shadow The Hedgehog Pony.png|Shadow as a pony. Shadow_Sonic_Boom.png|Shadow in Sonic Boom. Shadow_16.png Trivia *Shadow and everyone else requires at least one Chaos Emerald close by to draw power from for Chaos Control, or the technique is impossible - however, Shadow has appeared to use Chaos Control and other Chaos Powers during gameplay of some games without visible Emeralds nearby. *In the Japanese commercial for Shadow the Hedgehog, Shadow is seen dancing. *Shadow uses his left hand when using weapons in Shadow The Hedgehog. His counterpart, Lancelot, however, fights with his right hand, possibly because of the Wii motion control. In Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) Shadow always leads with his right for his attacks during cutscenes. Shadow may either be ambidextrous or have left eye dominance, seeing as those with left eye dominance are recommended to fire guns whilst favoring their left hand. He also tends to cross his right arm under his left arm in most artworks. *In the 2011 Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition, Shadow placed 25th in the "Top 50 Video Game Characters of All Time" while Sonic placed tenth. *In Sonic Heroes, Shadow is shown to be faster than Sonic in grinding, but this has been modified in Sonic the Hedgehog. *Shadow's trophy pose in Super Smash Bros. Brawl is almost identical to his artwork for Sonic the Hedgehog (2006). *In Sonic Generations, the player may be rewarded with the fourth Chaos Emerald for defeating Shadow (third if he is fought before Perfect Chaos). Coincidentally, in his own game, Shadow mentions the fourth Chaos Emerald in a line, "Where's that damn fourth Chaos Emerald!?", which has since gained Internet popularity. *Shadow's three main Chaos abilities are generally color-coded in relation to the three Chao alignments. Chaos Control requires positive chaos energy that generally glows blue, as Hero Chao have blue markings. Chaos Spear is generally depicted as being yellow-white, while Neutral Chao have yellow markings. Chaos Blast requires negative chaos energy, and is generally red, whereas Dark Chao have red markings. *In Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing, Shadow's profile says he likes "nothing." *In the 2D indie fighting game Skullgirls Encore, the 17th selectable color palette of the character Fukua is a direct reference to Shadow the Hedgehog. *Shadow's trophy pose in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U resembles his artwork for Sonic Rivals. Category:Heroes Category:Sonic Characters Category:Unaging Category:Tragic